Like this:

We do not need war to stave off our boredom or give us meaning and definition as a people. It is not our human nature but rather our unhealed, unaddressed suffering that propels us to industrialized killing. Killing at this level is quite simply the consequence of a fear based philosophy that drives us to seek safety by attempting the impossible : to control everything and every one around us.

– Claude Anshin Thomas from his book, At Hell’s Gate A Soldier’s Journey from War to Peace

How Zaltho Makes a Difference

The Zaltho Foundation supports populations affected by violence through meditation retreats, workshops, and one-on-one guidance. Zaltho’s programs emphasize the value of mindfulness and meditation in promoting healing and transformation within individuals and communities. The Zaltho Foundation regularly works with:

Combat veterans and their families: Our programs include meditation retreats for veterans and visits with veterans in prisons, hospitals, and war zones. Veterans retreats provide a unique and supportive environment in which veterans can recognize and begin to heal the emotional and spiritual wounds of combat through mindfulness practice.

The General Public: We provide workshops, talks, and retreats that present the techniques of sitting meditation, breath awareness, communication skills, conflict resolution, and emotional healing techniques within the context of mindfulness meditation practice.

In any situation there are two witnesses: other people’s view of you and your own view of yourself. Of those, the principal witness is your own insight. You should not just go along with other people’s opinion of you. The practice of this slogan is always to be true to yourself. This slogan says that of the two witnesses, hold the principal one as the actual, authentic one. That authentic witness is you.

Training the Mind and Cultivating Loving-Kindness
by Chögyam Trungpa,

photographer unknown

This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.

suffering comes from the erroneous belief in what is not true and striving to maintain that as truth. suffering is a delusion but like a dream it can still cause fear which in turn causes more delusion more suffering. dealing with fear the antidote of which is awareness of the truth, that’s the process of becoming free from suffering. what is true?

for starters how about this – everyone who has ever lived has or will die. this includes everyone you know including yourself. that is truth. that’s the beginning of liberation – sitting with that for a while. seeing if that causes you more or less suffering than not contemplating it. See if there is a way to sit with that truth without it being a cause of suffering? can you? does it?

give yourself no preconceived notion. give yourself the space and time to sit with the truth, your truth and see what its like for you.

as the saying goes – Food off another’s spoon will not nourish your wisdom.

In other-words accept no spoon fed answers. challenge all belief assessing their truth through your own self. liberation from suffering is a DIY situation.